An Hermès-inspired afternoon

Nadine Kam photos
Hermès CEO Robert Chavez with Tiana and Nobuhide Torii.

Tiana Torii hosted an intimate luncheon at her home April 2, welcoming friends including Hermès CEO Robert Chavez, who's been a friend of hers ever since he joined the company a decade ago. Based in New York, he tries to visit the islands twice a year, as well as other boutique locales around the world.

A humble and low-key gentleman, he said he's sometimes mistaken for a sales associate in the stores, but like TV's "Undercover Bosses," it gives him a good idea of clientele's wishes and concerns.

As always, no detail was overlooked. The table was dressed with gold and silver placemats, with flowers in pinks and oranges, reflecting Hermès signature box color. Afterward, I was wondering how the orange came to be, and a quick Internet search led me to the Contessanally blog, where the orange was attributed to the only color of paperboard available during World War II scarcity. Maybe someone from Hermès will be able to confirm the story.

Limited-edition Hermès scarves were hung over the living room from second-floor balconies.

To add to the color of the afternoon, Tiana also managed to string up some of her own Hermès scarves, hanging like banners over her living room. She tried to explain how it was done, but I have such a lack of mechanical skill that my mind was boggled. It somehow involved pitching the string-fastened scarves across the room and hoisting.

The scarves she chose had particular significance because they were all limited editions, including two aloha scarves, one created for the opening of the Ala Moana Center Hermès boutique and one commemorating the Hawaii World Festival. There was also a United Nations scarf and the Bolduc au Carre, that is a signature of the luxury brand.

With lunch prepared by Le Bistro chef Alan Takasaki and his staff, it was a beautiful, relaxed way to spend a Saturday afternoon. What a treat!

The Toriis' giant yellow Bearbrick had a limited edition Waikiki twilly tied around his wrist while carrying the limited edition Picotin bag from the Waikiki Hermès opening, as well as a classic orange Birkin (30 cm).

Chef Alan Takasaki of Le Bistro created a luxurious meal that started with several appetizers before guests were seated. It was so food intense, I didn't know at the time whether to write about it on this blog or Take A Bite. Most events easily fit one category or the other, but Tiana understood the quandary. Noting that I write about food and fashion, she said, "I have both!"

Lunch guests Charlyn Honda Masini, left, and Tammy Browning, with goodie bags from Hermès, bearing catalogs, a scarf-tying guide and sweets.

Guests Kristi Komeya, left, and Joyce Aoki.

Nobu at the table, with flowers, below.

We thought the four-hour lunch was over with the arrival of white and pink macarons, but the real dessert of a Gianduja chocolate souffle was still to come. By that time, most of us had to leave, but about half of us decided we couldn't let those gold-leafed soufflés go to waste. They were definitely worth the time. We could have easily enjoyed two apiece, but I think just one would break anyone's diet for the week.

Another Bearbrick held the Japan flag in solidarity with our sister nation.

Chanel shoes and peek into a dream closet

Nadine Kam photos
Designs from Chanel's fall footwear collection were showcased in celebration of the brand's biggest Hawaii fan. A peek into her closet proves the point.

It was all about Chanel footwear yesterday, Nov. 17, when Tiana Torii opened her home to Chanel and about a dozen fellow afficionados for a private showcase of fall designs not carried by the boutiques here.

Joseph Cruz, national sales director for shoes, retail division, was in town from New York to help fit and match guests with shoes that best suit their personalities.

I gravitated to the pearl boot below, and Princess Dialta Alliata de Montereale humorously advised, "Never ask the price. In cases like this, you just close your eyes and give them your credit card."

I don't know if it's more a function of being a journo or economically challenged, but I always have to know every detail, and the main detail is that the boot is $1,525. Sigh. It was hard to take them off. Can you imagine these with the right outfit?!

Chanel's Joseph Cruz with a Shanghai-inspired boot with lantern embossing and a silver lantern on the heel.

Tiana, second from left, with her friends Kim Yoshino, Kristi Komeya and Tessie Schmisseur.

Oh, but heart be still! The real piece de resistance was a trek through Tiana's dream closet, with Chanel's pretty tweed suits, shoes and handbags lined up in a row. It was amazing to behold, but the impact of it all really didn't hit me until later, when I woke up in the middle of the night, started thinking about it and couldn't go back to sleep.

My first thought was of a black tank top introduced a couple years back, embellished with five pieces of applique, that I know she owns and wished I could see again.

Then I thought of how there are so many words associated with the brand, like "iconic, classic, timeless," that I can spew them out without much thought. They are a shorthand for getting an idea across. But as I looked at the pieces in Tiana's closet, I realized how any of those pieces, no matter which season or which year, could be worn with any of the other pieces, and look just as current now as a decade ago, and always be recognized as Chanel. It's the reason she said she has trouble parting with any of her Chanel pieces. They can be worn forever. She also has an eye for the most iconic pieces of any collection, making them instantly collectible.

That shows how strong the brand, its vision and aesthetics are, and it's quite a feat. I can't think of many other brands that can sustain that instant recognition over decades. Certainly in terms of accessories, there is Hermes, Dior and Louis Vuitton, but in clothing?

My introduction to couture was through Chanel, one of the first luxury brands to have arrived in Hawaii in the 1980s. I wish I had the kind of personal technology available today to capture the fantastic runway shows produced at that time, along with the initial French Festival shows that brought the haute couture to Hawaii. They are now relegated strictly to memory, but the Chanel, Dior and Sonia Rykiel shows were fantastic.

Far from being stuffy, the same ethos that led Chanel to buy and preserve the work of such Maisons d'Art as Lemarié (feathers), Lesage (embroidery) Desrues (metalwork), Goossens (goldsmith) and Guillet (flowers), made them eager to share the handwork of its haute couture garments, and demonstrate to those who cannot fathom the expense of such garments, what separates their work from what we usually wear. They represent the highest achievement in fashion, as well as a connection to the past.

Catherine Lin tries on one of Tiana's favorites from the fall collection, a bootie dressed with a row of camellias.

Tiana's love for Chanel is also reflected in this Bearbrick figure dressed in Chanel's iconic suit, pearls, shades and camellia.

A glimpse of the dream closet, with some of Tiana's Chanel purses.

Then there's her shoe collection.